Assigned
by jwg676
Summary: Hitsugaya Toushirou, Kuchiki Byakuya, Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jyuushirou are assigned to the living world. Mayhem, madness, chaos and action ensues...
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Assigned

**Rating:** G, action, humour

**Pairing / Characters: **Hitsugaya Toushirou, Kuchiki Byakuya, Kyouraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Ichigo and the gang

**Word Count: **730 words

**Warnings: **Nothing!

**Summary: **Four captains are assigned to the living world to deal with a threat

**A/N: **A rollicking good cliffhanger to start things off!

'Wait, you want us to do what?'

Yamamoto looked perturbed at the reactions to his statement. 'You've been assigned to the living world for several weeks. According to information from Urahara Kisuke, there have been several sightings of Menos Grandes, and the Kurosaki boy is unable to handle them all. As the four of you are the strongest of my captains, I'm sending you to handle this.'

Yamamoto grinned suddenly. 'Oh, and Shunsui? I absolutely forbid you from getting drunk with Kisuke. Soi Fon still hasn't forgiven you.'

'That's not fair!' Shunsui protested. 'It was Christmas, Yama-jii!'

Yamamoto flapped a hand. 'Tough. Jyuushirou, keep him in line, you hear?'

Jyuushirou sent Shunsui a look. 'I'll do my best, Genryuusai-sensei.'

Yamamoto snorted, well aware of Shunsui's influence on his lover. 'I'm sure you will. Right, dismissed.'

'It's going to be a long month,' Shunsui mourned. 'All work and no play makes Shunsui a very unhappy captain…'

Jyuushirou bit his lip to hide his laughter, because despite the complaints, Shunsui's eyes were bright with mischief. He was absolutely irrepressible, but Jyuushirou didn't want him any other way.

'Of all the people he could have sent, it had to be us,' Hitsugaya growled.

Jyuushirou laughed. 'Don't worry, Hitsugaya-kun. It's not going to be that bad.'

'I don't know about that, senpai,' Byakuya said suddenly. 'Urahara certainly has bad taste in gigais.'

Shunsui's face fell. 'Oh god, please don't remind me.'

Byakuya blinked at the look of barely suppressed horror on Jyuushirou's face.

'Did something happen?' he asked curiously.

'We had this thing… we snuck out of Sereitei to go and celebrate his birthday… and he… he… he gave us female gigais…'

Byakuya's eyes widened. 'He didn't…'

'He did,' Shunsui confirmed. 'I've never been so embarrassed…'

'You _wear_ pink,' Jyuushirou pointed out indignantly. 'I had to wear that awful shade of lavender.'

'Why would he do something like that?' Hitsugaya asked innocently.

'It was the hair, among other things,' Shunsui admitted. 'Kisuke's sense of humour has always been a little…off.'

'What other reasons – oh.' Hitsugaya flushed deeply. 'That really is awful!'

Shunsui and Jyuushirou sighed in unison. 'We know, we know.'

The sun was just sinking below the horizon when the four of them entered the real world just outside the Urahara Shoten. Kisuke and Yoruichi were waiting outside for them, the former with a large, cheery smile.

'Welcome, welcome,' he said brightly. 'Were it not for the escalating crisis, I would be even happier to see you.'

Despite their earlier complaints about Kisuke and his gigais, Hitsugaya couldn't help but notice that both Shunsui and Jyuushirou were grinning openly at the sight of their old friend.

'Kisuke, you sly thing, it's good to see you,' Shunsui said, clapping him on the back.

'Same for the two of you. No need to ask how things are going, I see.'

Jyuushirou reddened. 'Yes, well, about that…'

Kisuke chuckled. 'No need to worry, I've got things under control.'

Ten minutes later, two identical roars filled the Urahara Shoten.

'Kisuke!'

Kisuke's laughter echoed around the Urahara Shoten as Ururu served tea. 'Now now, you two, it was just a joke. No need to kill me just yet!'

Jyuushirou muttered something pithy under his breath, a furious expression on his face.

Byakuya and Hitsugaya glanced between Jyuushirou and Kisuke a little worriedly, but Shunsui looked totally relaxed. Apparently, this was normal.

Hitsugaya shook his head slowly. 'Stupid old people.'

Byakuya was about to reply when a sudden surge of reiatsu made him leap to his feet. 'What the hell – '

Kisuke got up, his expression suddenly grim. 'That would be Kurosaki-san, Byakuya. It's been like this all week.'

All business, the six of them flew out the door, using shunpo as the fastest means to get to the scene of the battle, across the moonlit rooftops that was the Karakura residential area.

The scene that met their eyes was one of total devastation – a Menos Grande and several hollows formed a semi-circle around several very familiar faces. Ichigo stood between the hollows and his friends, the grass beneath his feet not only stained with blood but in some places, burned and blackened.

Inoue was huddled over a clearly wounded Chad, and Ishida's crumpled body lay nearby. Rukia was nowhere to be seen.

With a yell of rage, Ichigo charged towards the Menos, murder in his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Discussions

**Rating:** G, action, humour

**Pairing / Characters: **Ukitake Jyuushirou, Kyouraku Shunsui, Urahara Kisuke, Hitsugaya Toushirou, Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia, Kuchiki Byakuya, Inoue Orihime, Kurosaki Isshin

**Word Count: **1, 307 words

**Warnings: **Spoilers for the manga for Isshin's past

**Summary: **A twist! A second shocker! A surprise appearance from the past! A third, completely unexpected shocker!! READ THIS SUMMARY FIRST!

**A/N: **I took liberties with the Hougyoku since we don't know what else it can do, so I made stuff up.

Just so we're all clear, there are no pairings in this ficlet. I only included Shun and Shirou in the first chapter for comedic impact with regards to the gigais. So yeah, just so we're all clear…

Shunsui caught his breath at the boy's foolishness. 'Stupid child –'

The six of them were frozen in shock as beyond reason, Ichigo roared a command and an arc of blue light soared towards the Menos.

'Give her back, damn you!'

'What is he talking about?' Yoruichi wondered aloud, still shocked at the level of anger she was seeing.

'Rukia!' Byakuya gasped, his eyes on the Menos. Jyuushirou's own anger rose when he saw what both Byakuya and Ichigo were looking at – suspended from the Menos' claw, a thin trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, slender form limp, was Rukia. Her zanpakutou lay on the floor, shards glittering in the fading light, and in the sudden silence, a command.

'Chide, Senbonzakura.'

Ichigo didn't even blink at the flow of blades directed at the Menos, who roared in rage , dropping Rukia to swipe at Senbonzakura. For once moving faster than even Yoruichi, he threw his zanpakutou to one side, leaping forwards and catching her before she hit the floor.

'Ichigo-kun! Leave them to us and get your friends to safety!' Jyuushirou shouted.

Ichigo backed off, grabbing Zangetsu and retreating towards his wounded friends.

Smooth as ever, Shunsui was already tackling a hollow, Hitsugaya close behind. As the young captain unsheathed Hyourinmaru, he was already flying through the air towards a second hollow who seemed hell bent on tearing him apart.

Ichigo paid them no mind, his exhausted body finally at its own limits. He sank down beside Inoue, laying Rukia on the grass. His bloodied hands were gentle as he smoothed the hair away from her face, and Inoue turned to him, her eyes wide with shock.

'Kurosaki-kun – '

Ichigo mistook her concern and said gently 'she's just unconscious, Inoue. I think she hit her head. She'll be fine.'

Inoue shook her head impatiently. 'It's not that, Kurosaki-kun. You're hurt –'

'It's nothing, don't worry about me. How are Chad and Ishida?'

As he hoped, Inoue focused on them. 'They're fine. I've just finished healing Sado-kun, and Ishida-kun is going to be fine.'

'You weren't hurt, were you?'

Inoue shook her head. 'No.'

'Thank god,' Ichigo muttered, scrubbing his hands through his hair before dropping his head into his hands and yawning. 'So tired…'

'Ichigo-kun.'

Ichigo's head shot up. 'Already?' he asked.

'The Menos retreated,' Jyuushirou told him calmly, 'and we've taken care of the remainder of the hollows. We're heading back to Kisuke's now so we can take care of your injuries.'

'I'm fine…'

Kisuke snorted. 'Like hell you are. You can barely stand, let alone move.'

Ichigo glared at him. 'You bastard, I can handle this –'

Byakuya pulled him to his feet, draping his arm around his shoulder. 'You fought well, Kurosaki Ichigo, but it's time to let us take over. You can't protect your friends if you're injured.'

Grumbling under his breath, Ichigo allowed himself to be helped by Byakuya, noting with glazed eyes that Jyuushirou had picked up Rukia, that Chad and Ishida were already on their feet.

He fought back a sigh. This just wasn't his day.

'Kisuke – do you have any idea why Menos are gathering in this area?' Jyuushirou asked, cupping his glass of tea. 'Is it possible that Aizen is involved?'

Kisuke shrugged, idly refilling Shunsui's sake cup.

Jyuushirou caught the action, and glared at him, knowing exactly what Yamamoto was going to say when he found out. Shunsui sent him a faint, knowing grin, and Jyuushirou shook his head, looking away from the dark eyes.

'It's possible of course, but I doubt it. After all, I never included it in my notes, Aizen would never be able to use the Hougyoku that way.'

Hitsugaya straightened. 'Wait, what do you mean 'that way'? '

Kisuke's expression was somber. 'The Hougyoku can be used in a variety of ways, Hitsugaya-kun. Why do you think I was exiled because of it? Not only can you force a shinigami to attain hollow powers and vice versa, but it can also be used as bait to attract other hollows, Menos Grandes, and whatever else might be lurking in Hueco Mundo.'

Shunsui put his untouched sake cup on the table at the same time as Jyuushirou set down the glass of tea. Both their expressions were troubled.

Both Yoruichi and Byakuya's eyes narrowed.

'Does anyone else know of the hougyoku's abilities?' Byakuya asked.

'Yes,' Kisuke said simply. 'Aside from myself, three people are well aware of what the Hougyoku is capable of.'

'Oh my god,' Hitsugaya mumbled. 'This is a disaster – if Aizen ever finds out, the chaos and destruction the world would be thrown into –'

'Calm down, Hitsugaya-kun,' Jyuushirou told him sharply. 'The hougyoku's capabilities have been kept secret for close to two centuries, nothing is going to change that now.'

'How can you be so certain, Ukitake? We don't know who else has been kept in the loop, or whether or not we can trust them.'

'Oh you can trust them all right,' Kisuke said calmly. 'One of them has long since given up his shinigami robes, the other two are seated in this room – and I can assure you, they are Soul Society's most trusted captains.'

Byakuya's eyes widened. 'You mean –'

Kisuke inclined his head. 'That's correct, Byakuya. The first is Kurosaki Isshin, who gave up eternity for a human woman. The other two are none other than Shunsui and Jyuushirou. Please believe me when I say that neither of them would have willingly given up this secret – in fact, it's entirely possible that Isshin has forgotten all about it.'

The former shinigami laughed suddenly. 'Children tend to do that to you.'

Yoruichi glared at him. 'Why didn't you tell me, Kisuke?'

'For the same reason I never told anyone – to protect them. If word got out that they knew, what do you think would happen? The last thing I want to hear is that my friends have been killed because of it. No, no one else will ever know about the Hougyoku.'

Byakuya's mind raced, wondering exactly what this new information meant with regards to Kisuke's defection from Soul Society all those years ago. If they knew, and Kurosaki Isshin knew, then that could only mean …

'I've been waiting all week for something like this,' a new voice said abruptly.

Hitsugaya spun around, hand going to his zanpakutou's hilt instinctively when he saw the tall, slender shadow inside the doorway.

'The unusual gathering of hollows… and now, the presence of two people I never expected to see again. Jyuushirou, Shunsui… it's been many years, hasn't it?'

Shunsui, Jyuushirou and Kisuke exchanged broad grins as the figure stepped into the light.

'I trust you've been looking after my son?' the stranger enquired, an equally broad smile on his face.

Byakuya stared at the newcomer, taking in the dark, intelligent eyes, the shinigami robes, the zanpakutou at his side.

'Kurosaki Isshin,' he murmured.

Isshin's smile widened. 'Got it in one. Kuchiki Byakuya, I presume?'

'How did you –'

'Know? Your sister has been a guest in my home for quite some time now. The resemblance to Hisana is uncanny.'

'You knew Hisana?' Byakuya whispered.

Isshin sat down beside Jyuushirou, his eyes gentle. 'I was the one who performed her soul burial, Byakuya. She was just a child then, and I guided her straight to Inuzuri. It wasn't the best area for someone as delicate as she was, but I assume you already know why she was sent there.'

Byakuya nodded. 'I know… things were different then –'

'Which brings me to my next question – what the hell are you doing here?' Shunsui demanded, his own eyes bright.

Isshin laughed softly. 'Who do you think has been dealing with hollows when Ichigo has been too exhausted, Shunsui?'

Yoruichi's jaw dropped in a silent gasp.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Dark matters

**Rating:** G

**Pairing / Characters: **kurosaki Isshin, kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime, Hitsugaya Toushirou, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Kuchiki Byakuya, Ishida Uryuu, Jinta, Ururu

**Word Count: **1, 354 words

**Warnings: **Just for the manga, if you didn't know about Isshin

**Summary: **Inoue brings candy floss, Jinta is attacked, Isshin and Kisuke remember a terrifying incident

**A/N: **Damn it, this really irks me. This whole thing was intended to be a comedy, but I find that ONCE AGAIN it's taken on a life of its own and has taken a turn for the twisted. DON'T BLOODY ASK ME WHY. I DON'T KNOW.

FOR MY BROTHER, ICICLE…

'What the hell are you doing here again?' Ichigo asked grumpily.

'Saving your skin,' Hitsugaya told him.

Ichigo flared up at once. 'Listen here, brat, if you people were doing your jobs in the first place this would never have happened!'

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched. 'Oi. I'm a captain. And I'm older than you by at least two thousand years. And you're calling me a brat?'

Ichigo got right into Hitsugaya's face. 'Damn right I am. I'm captain level too, ya know!'

'Hmpf.' Hitsugaya turned away from Ichigo, eyebrow still twitching. 'Whatever.'

'Now now, let's not argue,' Jyuushirou said calmly. 'We still have much to do before this evening.'

Just then, Inoue bounced in, bearing a large, sugary mass on a stick. The same sugary substance decorated her hands and face, and Jyuushirou blinked.

'What on earth are you eating?'

'This?' Inoue asked innocently. 'Candy floss, Jyuushirou-san. Do you want some?'

Jyuushirou eyed the candy floss warily. 'Er…'

'Here, try some,' Inoue chirped, and handed him the entire stick.

'Er…'

Her eyes brightened. 'Oh, you've never had it before? All you do is break off a piece like this, and then you eat it. It's delicious, sweet and fluffy and Tatsuki-chan and I love to eat it sometimes after school when we've been working hard and did you ever find something that you wanted to eat after you've had a very long day and you feel like something sweet?'

Ichigo took one look at the bewildered captain's face, and pulled Inoue away.

'Inoue, let him taste the candy floss and sit here,' he said gently.

Inoue smiled up at him. 'If you say so, Kurosaki-kun. Ne, does Kurosaki-kun have something he likes eating after school?'

Ichigo chuckled. 'Yuzu normally makes the lunch, Inoue. It's something different every day.'

Once he was certain that no one was watching, Jyuushirou pulled a piece of the fluffy confection off the stick and put it into his mouth.

His eyes lit up. It was as good as the girl said, perhaps even better. Inoue glanced at him. 'You can have the rest of it, I don't mind. I can get more.'

'Oh, well, thank you,' Jyuushirou answered, breaking off another piece.

'What the hell is that?'

Ichigo looked resigned. 'Candy floss, Byakuya. It's sweet. You eat it.'

'Do you want some, Byakuya-san?' Inoue asked.

Byakuya looked disdainful. 'I refuse.'

Ichigo paced restlessly. 'It can do that?'

Kisuke nodded, eyes gleaming from beneath his hat.

'What else can it do? You couldn't have used it on me; Rukia was in Soul Society then so obviously there's another way to force a shinigami to get hollow powers – but aside from that, what else is there we should know about?'

'Nothing,' Kisuke told him. 'The other effects of the Hougyoku are unknown to anyone save myself, and I don't intend on telling anyone. Understand something, Kurosaki-san. There are certain things I am capable of that no other person, living or dead, can achieve. The hougyoku's other abilities lie in that area. Aizen could never use the Hougyoku in that manner even if he knew how.'

'Why?' Yoruichi questioned. 'If it can be done why can't it?'

'Because, my dear Yoruichi, he is not Urahara Kisuke. Only one thing can activate the Hougyoku, and that is blood. My blood, to be precise.'

'You mean that –'

'Correct!' Kisuke beamed at Ishida. 'My unique strength is the manipulation of blood, hence Benihime's special abilities. To use the Hougyoku in that manner, I would need to use it in conjunction with Benihime. She and I have an… agreement in that regard.'

The door flew open, and Ururu dashed in. 'Kisuke-san! Hollow sighted! Preparations for destruction are underway!'

Swearing, Kisuke leapt to his feet, cane in hand, murder in his eyes.

_On my property… with my children… damn them to hell…_

He made for the door, Ichigo and Yoruichi behind him, intent on destroying the hollow, and came to an abrupt halt.

Someone else was already taking care of the problem.

Jinta lay on his side, his bat in pieces. Ururu was hovering over him anxiously, but Kisuke's attention was taken by the tall, dark haired figure slamming a zanpakutou into the hollow's mask much like a punch to the jaw.

Ichigo felt his jaw drop when he recognized the shinigami dealing with the hollow as smoothly as any other captain would have.

'Dad…' he whispered, shocked out of his mind. So used to seeing an idiot for a father was he that the man in front of him with deadly intent in his eyes was totally unfamiliar.

Isshin landed lightly, sheathing his zanpakutou and kneeling down beside Jinta, lifting the boy into his arms gently.

'No need to worry, Kisuke, he'll be all right. I'll have a look at him now, but I don't think it's serious.'

'Dad?' Ichigo asked uncertainly. 'What are you – I mean – a zanpakutou – shinigami robes –'

Isshin didn't waste time with jokes. 'Ichigo, where do you think your strength came from? Yes, I am a shinigami, and yes, you're still my son.'

'But – your reiatsu –'

Isshin pushed past his son, still talking. 'Captain level, but I was never promoted; I left before they could do that, and I dare say you'll go the same way. We'll talk about this later, there's too much to be done and not enough time to do it in. come on now, close your mouth and go and make sure there aren't any more hollows out there.'

Ichigo blinked, and did exactly what he was told.

Isshin laid Jinta on the floor, expertly examining him. A few moments later, he sat back. 'As I thought, he'll be fine. A bit bruised, shaken, but otherwise unharmed. Keep him in bed for an hour or two, and he'll be as good as new.'

Kisuke brushed Jinta's hair back. 'All their training, and I still wonder if it was any good,' he murmured.'

Isshin glared at him. 'Training is good and well, Kisuke, and these children have been taught well – but you should know that sometimes even training can do no good in certain situations. Remember Zaraki?'

Kisuke groaned. 'How could I forget that? We were in bed for weeks afterwards; Unohana told me later that she was afraid she was going to lose Jyuushirou before his illness killed him.'

'Zaraki?' a new voice questioned. 'What happened?'

'Ah, Byakuya, Hitsugaya-kun,' Kisuke smiled at them. 'An old story… many years before I even left Sereitei for Masaki… we were ordered out to Zaraki to investigate unusual hollow sightings. Jyuushirou and Isshin went one way, Shunsui and I, the other. What we found…'

For a moment, Kisuke's eyes clouded over. 'It was worse than confronting a Menos. Jyuushirou nearly died, and Isshin and I were in bed for several weeks. Shunsui was lucky, he took the least damage. Unohana was able to heal him before he bled out completely. He still has the scars.'

'Worse than a Menos? What could possibly be worse than a Menos?'

'Don't you remember what I told you before? There are other things in Hueco Mundo besides hollows and Menos Grandes. Spirits so evil that hell itself can't contain them… denizens whose souls are in such torment that nothing can ease their pain save for the death of other, purer souls… monsters that I pray none of you will ever come across. We had nightmares for months afterwards, and it was only a child…'

Hitsugaya found himself shuddering. 'A…child?'

'A child,' Isshin agreed quietly. 'They once said that the worst hollow was the Grand Fisher – but they were wrong. What we saw – I don't even want to describe it to you. Not even combined were Shunsui and Jyuushirou strong enough to handle it, and I've heard about the matches they've had in Sereitei.'

'What on earth could be so bad?' Byakuya wondered.

Isshin's expression was bleak. 'Believe me, Byakuya, nothing on earth – nothing of earth. If you ever come across something like that, I would just close my eyes – because it would be the last thing you'll ever see,' Kisuke told them softly.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** It

**Rating:** G, action

**Pairing / Characters: **Kurosaki Ichigo, Byakuya, Yoruichi, Jyuushirou and Shunsui

**Word Count: **978 words

**Warnings: **Nothing

**Summary: **Ichigo encounters 'it'

**A/N: **The monster isn't what I wanted. Feh.

Ichigo lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. A shinigami… his annoying, pathetic, loser of a father was a shinigami…

'It's not right,' he mumbled. 'It's just not right…'

Watching him in action, Ichigo had felt the strangest of sensations – pride, awe, happiness – and for the life of him, he didn't know why. Perhaps it was because he was no longer alone, perhaps it was just because he didn't have to hide what he was doing anymore.

Ichigo sat up abruptly, realizing something. There was a slim possibility that he hadn't managed to hide anything in the first place, that his father had known all along.

It raised some interesting questions with regards to the night he had left for Soul Society; certainly his father had been more serious than was normal, going to far as to be… concerned.

Ichigo's lips twisted. 'Bastard. If he knew where I was going, why the hell didn't he say anything?'

'_maybe because he believed you could handle it,' _a sneaky voice in the back of his head answered.

'Shut up,' Ichigo told the voice, and flopped back against the pillows.

Screaming.

The chilling sound echoed in the silence of the night as a terrified soul sprinted down the empty streets, sobbing.

'Help me… someone please help me… don't let it eat me… don't let it… don't let it…'

Ichigo heard the screams and was already leaping out of his bedroom window, Zangetsu in hand. As he landed lightly, running out of the garden and into the street, the soul collided with him, nearly knocking him off his feet.

'Help!' the young woman sobbed. 'Please don't let it get me…'

Ichigo grabbed her wrists, trying to loosen the death grip she had on his robes.

'Let go… let go of me… LET GO DAMMIT, I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU!'

Ichigo reversed his grip on Zangetsu, tilting the handle downwards and tapping it against her forehead, performing a very hasty soul burial. His eyes were narrowed as the soul slowly disappeared from sight, wondering what it was that had frightened her so much.

A hollow? A Menos? Something else altogether?

Ichigo heard the soft scraping, and tensed. Whatever it was, it was big – and it was heading in his direction…

Whatever it was slowly rounded the corner, and Ichigo adopted a fighting stance, Zangetsu angled across his body.

It didn't creep so much as shuffle, and when he saw it, the blood drained from his face. Zangetsu fell to the floor, but Ichigo didn't notice.

All he knew was that he couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't look away, couldn't –

His pupils dilated, fear coursing through him at the mere sight of it.

Tall, nearly hollow-size, the creature slid towards him, thick glutinous liquid spattering the torn rags it wore.

Strips of flesh hung from a rotting skull, fat, pale worms writhing in eyeless sockets. The gaping cavity that on a living person would have been a mouth opened, and Ichigo's stomach clenched at the sight of blackened, razor-like teeth and the many striations of muscle that held the maw together. It screamed, a thin, high pitched sound, and Ichigo could smell the slightly sweet stench of decay as it did.

He couldn't move.

It was as though he was dying, no, as if he was already dead, already being eaten alive by the thing before him. He could almost feel the sharp teeth ripping into his flesh, and his breath hitched painfully in his throat.

Every instinct was telling him to run, to get away from the house and a sleeping Karin and Yuzu, and at last, he forced his limbs to move. Scooping up Zangetsu, Ichigo fled for his life, the terrible entity right behind him.

Kisuke poured himself another cup of sake, leaning over the table and refilling both Shunsui's and Byakuya's cups. As he tilted the bottle towards Jyuushirou, the white haired captain shook his head and said instead 'Shouldn't Isshin be back by now?'

Yoruichi stuck her head into the room. 'He got back about five minutes ago, and is with Jinta. He'll be with you in a minute.'

Kisuke's eyes gleamed. 'Come on, Jyuu-chan, one more drink won't hurt you.'

Jyuushirou sent him a dry look. 'It does when you're around, Kisuke. I'll pass.'

Kisuke and Shunsui turned mournful expressions on him, and laughing, Jyuushirou got to his feet, walking over to the window.

'How like the old days this is,' he mused. 'We were always telling Byakuya to come and join us, and he always declined…'

'Ah yes,' Kisuke said dreamily. 'The wine, the women, the song…'

'And the three of you would have drinking competitions,' Byakuya remembered. 'Kyouraku always had the most terrible hangovers afterwards…'

'Oh, shut up,' Shunsui muttered as Byakuya chuckled.

'Remember the first time _you _got drunk, Byakuya? Even though you never ate anything, I think Unohana is still wondering how you managed to –'

'Never mind that,' Byakuya interrupted in a panicky voice. 'That's not really important, is it?'

'Shunsui,' Jyuushirou chided him gently. 'Don't be so awful.'

Shunsui just grinned, and tilted the sake cup to his lips.

The mantra pounded through his brain. _Run… fight… run… fight… run… fight…_

Ichigo did neither; in his blind panic he didn't watch where he was going, and consequently fell down the flight of stairs in the darkness.

Pushing himself up painfully, Ichigo knew he wasn't going to make it. his head ached where he had hit it, and Zangetsu lay a few feet away from him. Panting, Ichigo crawled towards his zanpakutou, the blood from his scraped palms slippery on the gravel.

Another high pitched scream from somewhere behind him made Ichigo freeze again.

'Help…' he whispered. 'Someone, anyone help me…'

In the darkness of Karakura, mere blocks away from Urahara Shoten, a second, hysterical scream rang out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** When daylight goes nightmares come

**Rating:** G, action, humour

**Pairing / Characters: **Kuchiki Byakuya, Hitsugaya Toushirou, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Kyouraku Shunsui, Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, Kurosaki Isshin, Kurosaki Ichigo

**Word Count: **1, 161 words

**Warnings: **Nothing

**Summary: **It and Ichigo have a face off, Ichigo is victorious

**A/N: **Does this monster actually scare anyone? It seems no worse than a hollow, except for the skull part. I found that kinda disgusting, actually. Think about it: zanpakutou… rotting skull… crack

Yoruichi lifted her head at the thin sound in the distance.

'Trouble,' she announced dryly. 'Again.'

Jyuushirou was already on his feet, sliding open the door and stepping out into the darkness. Shunsui was a step behind him, a troubled expression on his face.

Hitsugaya sighed. 'This is really annoying.'

Ichigo backed up against the wall, unable to go any further. The distant part of his mind was unable to understand why he wasn't able to stand up and fight, but the majority of his brain was so soaked in fear that he couldn't even move. Not even Zangetsu could help him this time; Ichigo had never felt so overwhelmingly alone – until a combination of captain level reiatsu made him want to cry with relief.

Help was coming.

Through the fear, that thought was the only thing in his mind that meant anything. They were coming, even if they didn't know it was him they were coming for, and that meant that he had to get up, had to fight…

Ichigo struggled to his feet, hands wrapped so tightly around Zangetsu that his knuckles were going white. He could feel the pulsing within his mind that meant his hollow side was trying to break free, and he controlled it with an effort. Not now… this wasn't the time for recklessness…

Ichigo brought Zangetsu up, taking several deep, shuddering breaths.

'Damn you to the hell you came from,' he snarled.

They were close when Jyuushirou came to a sudden halt, his face whitening in the orange of the street lights.

'Oh…my…god…'

'Jyuu?' Shunsui demanded, dark eyes filled with worry. 'What is it, what's wrong?'

Jyuushirou turned to him. 'C- Can't you feel it, Shun? That thing… it's here –'

Byakuya's voice was sharp. 'The thing Isshin told us of? Things so evil even hell can't hold them in…'

Kisuke's expression was bleak. 'It certainly feels like it – and this feels familiar somehow…'

Jyuushirou swallowed with an effort. 'Well, we're older now,' he muttered, 'and hopefully wiser. Maybe this time…'

The reiatsu that filled the air was one they all recognized. Yoruichi gasped aloud, and Isshin went grey with sheer horror.

'Ichigo…'

It only took a second before they were flying through the streets towards the horror and the shinigami substitute who faced it.

Ichigo was surprised to feel rage slowly taking the place of his anger. This – this thing had made him feel like a fool, a small, helpless human being, when he was neither.

He was a lone flower…

And nothing, nothing was going to make him feel like an idiot again, even if it was a terrifying monster that made his insides shake with fear at a single look from those sightless eyes.

Ichigo closed his eyes, seeking the spirit of his zanpakutou.

Isshin nearly had heart failure when he saw Ichigo standing before the hellish vision, his zanpakutou held up before him like a shield, eyes closed, the pallor to his skin. Despite his fear for his son, Isshin could only stare at the zanpakutou in Ichigo's hand.

'Shikai already?' he wondered aloud.

Yoruichi shook her head. 'No, Isshin. Ichigo's zanpakutou is permanently released. It's always in shikai.'

'You had something to do with this, didn't you Kisuke?'

Kisuke tilted the brim of his hat downwards. 'I might have.'

'What the hell is he doing?' Hitsugaya demanded, resolutely keeping his eyes turned away from the monster.

'Yoruichi smiled. 'Just watch.'

_Zangetsu's expression was impassive as always. Ichigo stood before him, unafraid of the mass of sideways buildings that was his mind._

'_Do you notice anything, Ichigo?' Zangetsu asked at last._

_Ichigo frowned. 'Something different?'_

'_Yes, and no. Look around you – what do you see?'_

_Ichigo figured that his zanpakutou was being literal so he went with it. 'Buildings… clouds… blue sky…'_

_Zangetsu inclined his head. 'Exactly. Even while facing that ancient horror, your mind is steady. You know what that means?'_

_Ichigo did. 'My power hasn't changed, I was just afraid to use it.'_

'_That's right. Use me, Ichigo. Don't be afraid of what you see, you can defeat it easily if you don't let fear rule your mind.'_

'_Then… lend me your strength, O'san,' Ichigo said softly._

'_As always… as always…'_

Ichigo opened his eyes, the calmness evident to the captains whose presence he no longer noticed. His reiatsu increased substantially, and only two of the six were unsurprised, having witnessed it before.

Isshin's jaw dropped as Ichigo thrust the zanpakutou forward, left hand on his right arm, the command ringing in the air.

'Bankai!'

A smile graced his face when he saw the changes to his son. The robes were longer, his zanpakutou taking the shape of a slender black katana.

'You're going down,' Ichigo informed the monster flatly – and leapt forward, swinging Zangetsu downward and taking the monster's arm with it.

It screamed; a high pitched whine that made Yoruichi cover her ears in pain. Ichigo was largely unaffected by the sound as the thing swung around towards him with near terrifying speed, disappearing from view and reappearing behind him.

'How the hell do I kill this thing?' Ichigo roared.

'Try purifying it!' Shunsui shouted back. 'Treat it like a hollow!'

Ichigo grinned bleakly, lifted Zangetsu high into the air, and bringing it down as hard as he could.

Unlike hollows, there was a sickening cracking sound and the monster actually howled in pain, lifting its arm to its head. Ichigo didn't blink as thick, black blood spattered his hands and clothes, but kept moving, dragging Zangetsu through its skull and into its neck.

An explosion of black pieces of whatever it was made of flung Ichigo against the wall, sending the captains tumbling like leaves in the wind, and when Byakuya could lift his head, the monster was gone, and Ichigo lay unmoving on the ground.

Byakuya rose gracefully, hurrying over to Ichigo and kneeling down. His eyes were closed, and his breathing ragged, which was unsurprising considering what he'd just faced. Other than that there were no injuries Byakuya could see, and as he lifted Ichigo into his arms, the boy groaned, but didn't move.

'Isshin – I think you should have a look at him –'

Isshin struggled to his feet, rubbing a welt on his temple, and moved over to Byakuya's side.

'Incredible,' Hitsugaya murmured. 'That was incredible…'

Shunsui, Kisuke and Jyuushirou exchanged troubled glances, neither of them over seeing their nightmare having come to life before them.

'That was awful,' Jyuushirou whispered. 'Oh gods, I remember why I –'

'Don't think about it,' Kisuke advised. 'It will just bring trouble for us all.'

'What will?' Hitsugaya asked.

'It's just that if something like _that _is here, it makes me wonder what else will follow,' Jyuushirou answered quietly.

'Never mind that, if that thing is here, then who – or what – is bringing them to Karakura?' Shunsui wondered.

Isshin glanced up, and sighed. 'I really wish you hadn't said that, Shunsui.'


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** A revelation

**Rating:** G, action

**Pairing / Characters: **Kuchiki Rukia, Kuchiki Byakuya, Urahara Kisuke, Kyouraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Hitsugaya Toushirou, Shihouin Yoruichi, Kurosaki Isshin

**Word Count: **1, 054 words

**Warnings: **Spoilers for the arc before the Soul Society arc, don't know what manga chapter

**Summary: **Rukia wakes up, Kisuke discloses a revelation about Ichigo

**A/N: **Yes, I know you were all wondering where Rukia was. Read on, noble people, and you will find out…

'Nii-sama? Where – what day is it?'

Byakuya set down his teacup and studied his sister carefully. 'How do you feel, Rukia?'

'Just tired… a slight headache but nothing else. How long was I asleep for?'

'About three days,' Kisuke told her as Ururu set a cup of tea on the table.

Rukia was aghast. 'Three days?'

'Well you've been pretty out of it, Rukia-chan,' Shunsui pointed out, tilting the brim of his hat up and regarding her with bright eyes. 'We thought it best to let you rest.'

'Ah, you're awake. Please try not to move around too much, I don't think you're fully healed yet.'

Rukia glanced up at the familiar voice and her eyes bulged. 'You!'

Isshin's expression was wry. 'Why is that all people can say when they see me?'

Shunsui chuckled. 'Maybe because no one expected to see you – you're not really supposed to be here, you know.'

'Tell me something I don't know.' Isshin rolled his eyes expressively.

'You're Ichigo's father – and you're a shinigami – '

'All true,' he told her. 'And yes, I knew who you were from the moment you set foot inside my home.'

'You never said anything…'

'What should I have said, Rukia-san? If I had told you, would you have believed it?'

Rukia stared at him. 'Probably not,' she muttered.

'Precisely. Now, eat, and then I want you to get some more rest. You shouldn't overdo it. That's a lesson my stubborn son needs to learn.'

'Where is Ichigo anyway?' Rukia asked, picking up her tea.

'Recovering from his injuries,' Byakuya answered.

'He was injured?' Rukia said sharply. 'What happened? Why didn't you help him?'

'Calm down, Rukia,' Kisuke admonished. 'We'll tell you everything, just don't get overexcited.'

He sent Shunsui a glance. 'How's Jyuushirou?'

'Sleeping,' Shunsui answered slowly. 'Seeing that thing… it wasn't good for him, Kisuke.'

Kisuke sighed. 'I know. It wasn't good for any of us, but Jyuushirou is taking it particularly hard…'

His voice trailed away as the other occupants of the room save for Rukia remembered the screams that had awoken them in the middle of the night.

Some memories could never be erased, no matter how much time had passed in the minds of those who never forgot, and some people were more sensitive to memories than to anything else.

'It reminds him of Kaien,' Shunsui said abruptly. 'There have only been two moments when he wasn't able to do anything, and both times he could have died…'

Rukia tried, and failed to follow the conversation. 'Pardon my interruption, Kyouraku-taichou, Urahara, Nii-sama, but what thing? When was Ichigo injured? Why have I been asleep for so long? What have I missed?'

Shunsui rubbed his temples wearily. 'Why don't we start with the simple stuff? Three nights ago, you fought with a hollow but you sustained a terrible blow to the head. Kisuke and Isshin did what they could, but sleep was better for you. You haven't missed overmuch – the usual carnage that seems to follow us around, a monster from the depths of Hueco Mundo that Ichigo killed but nearly didn't, and an explosion that would have destroyed a part of Karakura had it not been spiritual.'

'What happened to Ichigo?'

'That thing exploded when he purified it,' Kisuke told her calmly. 'He'll be fine. Kurosaki-san is quite resilient even for a shinigami.'

'Are we any closer to finding out who is behind it all?'

The captains in the room exchanged glances, and Rukia frowned at their silent conversation. She could clearly see them wondering how much to tell her, and she shrugged inwardly.

There was obviously something deeper involved than what she had suspected, and they didn't know how to tell her.

'We don't know, Rukia,' Byakuya said at last. 'This is something we've never heard of, and we've already asked Soul Society to find out if there's been any new developments.'

Rukia frowned. 'New developments – Nii-sama – is it possible that a shinigami may be behind this?'

Kisuke stiffened. 'You mean Aizen?'

Rukia turned sharply. 'Is that what you think? Aizen may be involved? If he is does that mean the –'

'That's not what I said,' Kisuke said soothingly, although his eyes gave away his tension.

Shunsui defused the tense situation. 'Rukia-chan, what did you mean by a shinigami? You couldn't have meant Aizen, am I right?'

Rukia nodded. 'I was thinking of Ichigo, actually,' she replied slowly.

'Ichigo-kun? What would he have to do with this?'

Rukia bowed towards Jyuushirou as he walked in, hiding her shock at how tired he looked.

'Ukitake-taichou!'

Jyuushirou sat down between Byakuya and Hitsugaya who so far, hadn't said a word.

'What do you mean?' he repeated.

Rukia looked thoughtful. 'Taichou… when I gave Ichigo my spirit powers, he was… incredible, unstoppable. Even before, he managed to break a binding spell, and he could see hollows without shinigami powers, but afterwards… taichou, it was unbelievable. He defeated a Menos without even using shikai and he didn't even know what bankai was then.'

'Really?' Hitsugaya asked. 'I thought the Menos was just a rumor…'

Kisuke's eyes gleamed. 'No Hitsugaya-kun, it's not a rumor. It's the plain, unvarnished truth. It does surprise me to hear that he broke free of a binding spell, although it shouldn't. We've all witnessed his strength for ourselves.'

'He's not responsible.'

Yoruichi sat down. 'He's not responsible,' she repeated.

'Yoruichi, we can't be certain of it,' Byakuya said quietly.

'No, Byakuya, I am certain of it,' she said simply. 'Surely you must have seen it too.'

Byakuya froze, his mind going back to the battle he had had with Ichigo, something that had turned into one of the single most defining moments of his life.

The terrible swiftness that he had recovered with… the fact that he had been able to touch Senbonzakura without taking damage… the mask that had appeared from nowhere…

His eyes flew to Yoruichi, and then to Kisuke. 'Impossible…'

'Oh, it's possible, Byakuya,' Kisuke said carefully. 'It's very possible – as you are well aware of.'

'What's possible?' Shunsui asked sharply.

'Shunsui… in order for Kurosaki Ichigo to regain his spirit powers, some alterations were necessary to his spiritual makeup. These changes would not have been made possible if it weren't for his own natural strength.'

'What changes?'

'Kurosaki Ichigo is half hollow.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** The puppeteer

**Rating:** Action, comedy

**Pairing / Characters: **The puppeteer, Kuchiki Byakuya, Kuchiki Rukia, Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, Hitsugaya Toushirou, Kyouraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Ururu, Inoue Orihime, Ishida Uryuu

**Word Count: **1, 595 words

**Warnings: **Nothing

**Summary: **Ichigo is discussed, the puppeteer makes a (chaotic) entrance

**A/N: **Ya know, for some reason I don't like this. I had originally intended for it to be an action / comedy, but it just keeps getting stranger and stranger. Where the hell the puppeteer came from I don't know but here he is and well, bah, here this is. angry scowl

_He stood alone in the shadows, eyes fixed on the Urahara Shoten, wishing he could burn a hole through the wood and plaster and see through to the people inside._

_Abandoned. He had been abandoned by them so many years ago, and now they would feel his wrath like the others before him had. He would have the pleasure of watching as the flesh was stripped from their bones, as their lifeblood was spilt across the ground, as their pained screams went completely unnoticed, as their final, dying breaths were gasped…_

_He smiled. Oh yes, revenge was sweet indeed._

_The lesson had been seared into his mind centuries ago – there comes a time in every person's life when they will be called to judgment for their crimes and for the captains gathered inside the little shop, that time would come sooner than they expected._

_Eyes gleaming with an unholy red light, he flexed his massive shoulder muscles – and waited._

'H – half hollow.'

'Yes. Well – to be more precise, he's a shinigami who has managed to attain hollow powers – immense strength, unnatural speed, a fierce fighting spirit – most of which he had already. The training I subjected him to only enhanced those qualities enough for him to develop his inner hollow.'

'Kisuke,' Isshin began weakly, 'are you telling me that my son is part monster?'

'No.'

'What he's saying is that Ichigo is very much a lone flower – he's not a complete spirit, not a complete person, not a shinigami, not a hollow. His hollow self has yet to show the evil we've seen in other hollows, and to date, only emerges when Ichigo is on the verge of death.'

Byakuya straightened. 'Kisuke – without the Hougyoku, you managed to force the integration of a hollow self into a shinigami?'

'I did.' Kisuke's eyes were shadowed by his hat. 'There are a few methods known to do this, and sadly enough, there are others who can force this change. The integration of two souls are not always a success, though.'

'There are other ways? You told us that it could only be done through the use of the Hougyoku – so in effect, Aizen could be behind this after all!'

Hitsugaya glared at the former shinigami, but before he could continue his tirade, Jyuushirou broke in, his voice calm.

'Kisuke didn't lie to you, Hitsugaya-kun. It can only be done through the Hougyoku, that is, it can only be done properly. Across the years, there have been many shinigami who have attempted to cross the barrier between shinigami and hollow, but less than two percent of those souls have survived. Others who were forced into merging, who didn't look for a way to cross that barrier died almost immediately.'

His eyes met Rukia's, who swallowed.

'One such person was Kaien,' he completed, and the room went silent.

'Shiba Kaien? Your fukutaichou?'

Jyuushirou nodded. 'Yes, Hitsugaya-kun. both he and his wife Miyako were unwitting experiments of a merging. I only found out after Aizen betrayed Soul Society that he had been the one to do so.'

Hitsugaya felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. 'So all this time when everyone thought –'

'That's what he wanted us to believe,' Shunsui replied quietly. 'As things stand now, Kisuke is the only one with the knowledge to create a merging successfully – and neither Jyuushirou not myself are willing to attempt it.'

'Well,' Byakuya said calmly, 'it would appear that we're lucky Kurosaki Ichigo bears no malice towards Soul Society, or we'd be in trouble.'

Kisuke laughed suddenly. 'I think you'll find that's the last thing Ichigo would do.'

'Inoue-san, why are you rushing so much?' Ishida asked curiously.

Inoue beamed at him. 'Ice-cream!'

'I… don't follow.'

Inoue's smile was bright. 'Well I thought since everyone has been working so hard, I would make them a treat to say thank you.'

Ishida swallowed.

Hard.

'Er… Inoue-san? Exactly what kind of treat did you make?'

Inoue beamed. 'I'm so glad you asked! Ice-cream with wasabi and jelly paste, strawberries and a touch of chocolate sauce. I tasted it myself; even Tatsuki-chan said it was good.'

Ishida's face fell. 'Inoue-san…'

A frown puckered her forehead. 'You don't think they'll like it? I made some for Kuchiki-san and for Kurosaki-kun too.'

Ishida sighed deeply. 'I'm sure they'll love it, Inoue-san.'

The smile returned to her face and she bounced down the corridor at his side, asking him if he thought that maybe one day they would make a movie about the incident that had occurred at lunch time, and did he think that a musical would be better because at least in musicals you could sing along to the words and all the colours were better anyway.

Ishida quivered at the mere thought of Asano Keigo and his appalling clumsiness in a movie, let alone a musical, and prayed that he wouldn't get nightmares from thinking that he shouldn't be thinking about it.

'Ohayo Gozaimasu!'

Heads turned at the sound of the bright voice in the doorway, and Inoue beamed cheerily at them all.

'I hope no one minded but I brought something for you,' she said, bouncing into the room where they were sitting and placing a large, frozen container on the table.

'What is it?' Rukia asked curiously.

'Ice-cream!' Inoue announced proudly.

Rukia's eyes lit up. 'Ice-cream?'

'Hai! I made it myself! Urahara-san, would you like some?'

Kisuke glanced at the girl's expression with some apprehension. 'Well…'

Inoue clasped her hands together. 'Please? You'll like it, I know you will.'

He sighed. 'All right, Inoue. Ururu, please fetch some bowls and spoons.'

'Of course, Kisuke-san.'

Five minutes later, Inoue was scooping the dark brown mixture into bowls and placing the bowls in front of each captain. Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched as he stared down into the bowl.

'What are the red pieces?'

'Strawberries,' Inoue answered cheerfully, getting to her feet.

Nervously, he dipped his spoon into the ice-cream and was about to taste it when everything went downhill.

Inoue turned towards the doorway, throwing up her hands just as a blast of white lighting virtually annihilated everything around her.

Urahara Shoten lay in ruins.

In the dim light, only a faint yellow glow could be seen, the same yellow glow that highlighted Inoue, who lay on her side, hands over her head.

Hitsugaya lifted his head cautiously, half expecting to feel pain from whatever wounds he might have sustained, and was startled to find that he was uninjured. He sat up, cobalt eyes taking in the sight around him.

Kisuke had thrown himself over Ururu and Yoruichi, while Byakuya had employed the swiftest shunpo to date and had used his own body to protect his sister.

Ishida had found himself pushed face first into the floor by Shunsui, who had reacted with near unnatural swiftness. Jyuushirou had dived to the floor as well, and like Hitsugaya, had had just sat up and was staring around the remains of the shop in sheer astonishment.

Not a single person had been injured.

The yellow glow that lit up the interior of the shop enough for them to see by was the large shield created by Inoue's Shunshun rikka, employed almost instantly to protect her friends. Inoue herself hadn't sat up yet, but they could hear her soft yelp of pain as she shifted her hand.

'Inoue-san?' Ishida asked anxiously, embarrassed to hear his voice crack. 'Are you all right?'

Inoue pushed herself up with her right hand, the left cradled against her chest.

'Itai…'

'Inoue?'

She turned around, and managed her usual bright smile. 'I'm fine, Ishida-kun. I just hurt my hand.'

'Let me see it, Inoue.'

She held out her hand and Ishida winced at the splinters embedded in her palm.

'I'll take them out for you, just come over here.' Ishida pulled her to her feet, and she stumbled over to the table. As she sat down, the Shunshun rikka hovered around her anxiously, but her eyes were on her ice-cream – or what was left of it.

'It's ruined now,' she said sadly.

'At least we're alive,' Jyuushirou told her. 'You saved our lives.'

Inoue went red. 'You're welcome.'

Byakuya meanwhile, had already checked his sister to make sure she was unharmed, and was now standing in the doorway, a scowl on his face, violet eyes scanning the area around the shop.

'A spirit attack,' he said softly. 'In other words, we were just attacked by a shinigami.'

'Not a shinigami, Kuchiki Byakuya. I am much, much more than just a shinigami.'

Ishida was always surprised to see just how fast a captain level shinigami could move when the situation required it, and this was no different, for within seconds of the totally unfamiliar voice, six captains, two of them exiled, were standing outside, zanpakutous drawn, in a semi circle around a massive figure in the centre of the courtyard.

'Identify yourself,' Byakuya ordered calmly.

The figure laughed aloud, a sound that was more than just unpleasant.

'Me? I have no name, Kuchiki Byakuya, just a title. Those who know me, know me as the puppeteer.'

Jyuushirou and Shunsui exchanged glances.

'Explain your purpose here,' Shunsui said coldly. In the chaos, he had lost both his hat and his haori, and in stark black and white, was a grim figure to contend with. 'What do you want? Why have you come to Karakura?'

'My purpose? What I want? The answer is simple, Kyouraku Shunsui. I want you – each and every person standing in front of me – dead.'


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** He who keeps the keeper

**Rating:** Action

**Pairing / Characters: **The puppeteer, Shunsui, Jyuushirou, Kisuke, Ishida

**Word Count: **765 words

**Warnings: **Nothing

**Summary: **The puppeteer reveals where he came from, and proceeds to wreak havoc

**A/N: **Are things becoming clearer now?

Shunsui blinked. 'Well, _that's _unexpected,' he remarked carefully. 'Although, seeing as Urahara Shoten lies in pieces, we shouldn't be surprised, should we?'

Kisuke's reiatsu was increasing slowly, but steadily, and Jyuushirou flung up his arm to prevent him from committing murder before they could get answers.

'Calm down, Kisuke,' he said sharply.

Kisuke was in no mood to listen. 'Who the hell are you?' he repeated, a dark note in his voice that brooked no insolence.

'I told you, Urahara Kisuke, I have no name. You shinigami saw to that many, many years ago.'

'That's all good and well, but we don't know you,' Jyuushirou told him. 'You clearly know us, but why are you here?'

'Take a good look at what you see, Ukitake Jyuushirou, and you'll answer your own question,' the puppeteer replied scornfully.

Kisuke's eyes narrowed. The figure was not as large as a hollow, but he had several distinctive hollow characteristics – a mask, dark red eyes, massive arms and legs, hands that ended in claws, despite the fact that he wore torn, tattered shinigami robes. A wakizashi instead of a zanpakutou was sheathed at his side.

A dreadful suspicion began to grow in the former shinigami's mind when he recalled the events that had led to his defection from Soul Society all those years ago…

'_Urahara-taichou, the specimen is complete.'_

'_Very well, prepare for the integration of the souls. Has the lab been locked down?'_

'_Hai! No one is allowed in or out until the experiment is complete.'_

'_How many squad members are here?'_

'_Four, taichou, including yourself.'_

'_Did you check to ensure the area was cleared?'_

'_Not personally, but I had one of the juniors do it.'_

'_All right. Let's begin the experiment. Has the subject been briefed on what's expected of him?'_

'_We thought it best for you to handle that, Urahara-taichou. I'm sure he understands, but perhaps you should make sure.'_

'_I'll do that now, before we continue. I don't want any unwilling subjects here.'_

'_Taichou – were Kyouraku-taichou and Ukitake-taichou filled in?'_

'_Not as yet. I'll inform them of the results later.'_

'_Hai!'_

'A merging,' Jyuushirou murmured, bringing Kisuke out of his memories. 'A merging…'

'Correct, Ukitake Jyuushirou. A merging. You could go so far as to say that I'm an unfortunate byproduct of Project Spearhead.'

'And you're blaming me for it,' Kisuke said quietly.

'Well, you are the one who began the project, Urahara Kisuke. Under your direction hundred of souls were destroyed, including mine. How can I not blame you for it?'

It was all Kisuke could do not to lunge forward there and then, but Shunsui moved swiftly and grabbed his shoulder.

'Kisuke, stop it,' Shunsui said shortly. 'Don't let him antagonize you.'

Byakuya glanced between the merging and Kisuke, the latter who looked furious.

'Is this true, Kisuke? Were souls destroyed in Project Spearhead?'

'No, of course not,' Jyuushirou said grimly.

'It's true that several gikon souls were used initially, and then sanctioned for destruction, but no a single soul, shinigami or otherwise, were used in the experiments.'

'You lie!' the merging roared. 'Look at me, at what I've become! Had you not created such a project, I would still be human! You destroyed me, and you did it behind Soul Society's back!'

With a visible effort, the merging calmed down and continued.

'Why do I want you dead, Kyouraku Shunsui? The answer I think, is obvious. Aside from Urahara Kisuke, you, Ukitake Jyuushirou, and Kurosaki Isshin were all privy to the details of the experiments performed in Project Spearhead, and yet neither of you did anything to prevent it. As for you, Kuchiki Byakuya, and Hitsugaya Toushirou, you know what your fellow captains are capable of and yet you still stand by them!'

Hitsugaya's eyebrows shot up. 'This is ridiculous. Stupid old men, always getting into stupid fights…'

'Silence!' the merging snapped. 'It's a waste of your time and mine to even continue this discussion. This time, you'll feel the true power of a merging, and you will feel my wrath!'

Closing his eyes, the merging lifted his hands skyward and reiatsu exploded around him.

Ishida's eyes widened in horror as dark, jagged tears sundered the blue of the sky, and hundreds of indistinct shapes could be seen moving within them.

'I'll ask one last question before I watch you die,' the puppeteer said menacingly. 'When you pass into the next world with tears, ask yourself who is he who keeps the keeper?'

The first Menos Grande dropped to the ground, and there was no more time for talking or thinking.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title:** A desperate measure

**Rating:** Action

**Pairing / Characters: **Hitsugaya, Shunsui, Rukia, Byakuya, Inoue, Yamamoto, Ise Nanao

**Word Count: **946 words

**Warnings: **Nothing

**Summary: **Hitsugaya takes on a Menos, Rukia asks for backup and Yamamoto aids his former student

**A/N: **More of those fight scenes I love so much…

Stunned into immobility, the captains could do nothing but exchange horrified glances at the sight of hollows and Menos Grandes dropping into the living world and spreading out across Karakura.

Kisuke stared first at the puppeteer and then at the hollows, feeling sick.

A single act, a single project, and thousands of humans had been put at risk, and none of them, not a single captain had the authority to use bankai because of the disruption it would cause…

Hitsugaya was the only one of them who didn't remain where he was. As the puppeteer called down the hollows, he was already moving through the air, Hyourinmaru in hand. Bringing his zanpakutou up, he held the blade before his face, the heavens already darkening around him as three streams of ice swirled around the blade and flowed upward; the chain with its icy crescent moon dangling from the hilt.

'Soten ni zase, Hyourinmaru!' he roared, and the manifestation of his shikai, a white ice dragon, soared in the sky.

Flicking the tip of his zanpakutou forward, Hitsugaya silently commanded the dragon forward, cobalt eyes reflecting the dragon's strength as it flew towards the Menos, icy teeth cracking, but not shattering the mask.

The Menos let out a cry of rage, trying to grab the dragon in its bare hands, and Hitsugaya grinned bleakly.

'Idiot,' he muttered, as the dragon curled around the body of the Menos, freezing the grand hollow where it stood. It tilted its head backward, opening its mouth as a red glow emanated from its jaws.

Hitsugaya never gave the ceros a chance to fully form. He shot forward, snapping the chain around and tangling it around the Menos' throat. Thick white ice encased the Menos' face, and Hitsugaya shook the chain free, bringing his zanpakutou down and dragging it through the mask.

With a cry muffled by the ice, the Menos disintegrated, and Hitsugaya landed neatly on the floor.

By the time he had disposed of a second hollow and moved on to the third, his fellow captains had come out of their stupor, and were moving into action.

'Rukia! Byakuya shouted. Go back to Soul Society and request backup!'

Rukia darted back into the ruined shop and Inoue pushed past Ishida, already commanding the Shunshun rikka.

'Tsubaki!' she shouted, but the spirit was already flying towards a hollow, cutting it in half as easily as breathing.

Ishida could only stare at the hollows, unable to fight them, unable to do anything to defend himself or help his friends. Cursing his lack of power, Ishida could only watch as the hollow sensed the presence of a helpless soul, and lunged toward him – only to dematerialize as an oversized black and grey cleaver carved the hollow in two.

Ichigo yanked him backwards, an irritable expression on his face.

'What the hell is going on here?' he demanded.

A blue light flared behind him, and Chad lowered his arm.

'There's no time to explain – behind you, Kurosaki! Behind you!'

Ichigo turned, a shout on his lips. 'Getsuga Tenshou!'

Yamamoto looked up from the book he was studying. 'What is it now?'

'Kuchiki Rukia is requesting an urgent audience with you,' his fukutaichou replied. 'She mentioned that it had something to do with her brother's assignment.'

Yamamoto sighed. 'Send her in.'

Rukia crossed the floor hastily and bowed. 'Yamamoto-soutaichou, my deepest apologies for the disturbance, but I've been requested to ask Soul Society for assistance concerning the matters in the living world – at least a thousand hollows and Menos Grandes are currently being summoned into Karakura as we speak. It's a matter of urgency…'

Yamamoto sat up. 'A thousand of them?'

'At least,' Rukia replied.

Yamamoto called for his fukutaichou, and began giving rapid orders. 'Send word that the power limit is to be lifted on the captains currently in the living world. Send all free captains into the living world as well as their lieutenants. Kuchiki, you find Abarai, Matsumoto, Ise, and Kotsubaki and Kotetsu. Take them with you.'

Yamamoto got to his feet, reaching for his cane. 'In the meantime, I'll go down to the living world myself. If things are as you say, they're going to need all the help they can get.'

'Sir.' Rukia bowed, and fled towards the sixth division.

Swearing under his breath, Shunsui ducked beneath a massive fist, his captain's haori soaked in blood. Despite his speed he had only just managed to avoid a death blow from the hollow he was facing, but as it was the hollow had taken a large chunk from his shoulder.

Releasing shikai, he employed a swift shunpo and once he was level with the hollow, slashed his zanpakutou through the hollow's mask. As the hollow dematerialized, Shunsui dropped to the ground, landing hard.

'This is ridiculous,' he growled.

Jinta swung his baseball bat hard, connecting with another hollow's skull, sending it flying towards Tessai, who slammed a fist into the mask.

No matter how fast they disposed of the hollows, more reappeared to replace them at an alarming rate.

'Byakuya!' Shunsui shouted. 'Where the hell is Rukia?'

'On her way,' a new voice answered calmly. 'Are you all right, Shunsui?'

Shunsui blinked. 'Yama-jii… '

The ancient shinigami moved to stand between his former student and another hollow, as strong, slender hands pulled him to his feet. Only then did Shunsui notice that they weren't alone – he could sense the individual reiatsu of several other captains and lieutenants, including his own Nanao-chan.

'Kyouraku-taichou, you're injured,' Nanao said worriedly.

Shunsui grimaced. 'Yes, I know. Move!'

Seconds later, acid was pooling on the ground where the two of them had been standing.


	10. Chapter 10

**Title:** Hollow against hollow

**Rating:** G

**Pairing / Characters: **Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida Uryuu, Kyouraku Shunsui, Ise Nanao, Kuchiki Byakuya, Kuchiki Rukia, Ukitake Jyuushirou, Urahara Kisuke

**Word Count: **974 words

**Warnings: **Nothing much, I don't think

**Summary: **Ichigo takes down the merging AKA the puppeteer

**A/N: **I kept the fight scenes short for this one, because I've just finished a twelve chapter fight for Naruto, and to be perfectly honest, I think I've damaged myself with it and tragically have run out of fight ideas…

Ichigo ignored the captains completely, his attention focused on the thing standing back, watching calmly as Sereitei's finest fought for Karakura.

'Ishida – who – or what is that thing?'

'He calls himself the puppeteer – and he's half hollow, Kurosaki.'

Ichigo tilted his head, regarding the creature curiously. 'Really? Sounds interesting.'

Hefting Zangetsu, Ichigo strode towards the merging, eyes bright. 'Oi! You there! Puppeteer, or whatever your name is! Yeah, I'm talking to you!'

The puppeteer glanced at Ichigo scathingly. 'What do you want, brat?'

'To take you down,' Ichigo replied equally scathingly. 'I don't really like people who try to destroy my town.'

'Your town?'

Ichigo didn't answer that, preferring to hold Zangetsu out in front of him, waiting for the merging to attack.

The merging didn't move. 'You're a thousand years too early, boy,' he told Ichigo. 'Someone like you doesn't have a hope of defeating me.'

A slow, menacing grin spread across Ichigo's face. 'Really.'

The merging took a step backward as Ichigo released the constraints he had on his reiatsu – and spirit power howled out across Karakura.

One by one, captains and hollows alike stopped and stared in shock as Ichigo bent his head, closing his eyes. His reiatsu had already increased substantially, and was rising still further, clearly under control.

When Ichigo raised his head, a broad grin crossed Kisuke's face at what he was seeing.

A white and red mask was beginning to form, concealing Ichigo's features. Bright yellow eyes leered out at the merging, and Ichigo chuckled at the expression on the creature's face.

Shunsui swallowed, heartily glad that Isshin's son was not against them. The sight of a hollow spirit emerging from the boy's body was not only disquieting, it was disconcerting.

He felt Nanao shift herself until she was standing behind him, her fingers unconsciously clutching at his haori. She seemed terrified, and it was confirmed by her panicked whisper.

'Kyouraku-taichou… what on earth is happening to him?'

Shunsui didn't move. 'He's doing what none of us could, Nanao-chan. To take on a merging, you can only use a merging. His integration is absolutely perfect – he's totally in control of his hollow self.'

'A – a hollow…' despite the tremor in Nanao's voice, there was a dry note. 'I assume that Urahara Kisuke had something to do with this, sir.'

Shunsui chuckled. 'You'd be right, Nanao-chan. Kisuke had everything to do with this.'

For a moment, he felt Jyuushirou's reiatsu behind him, and the white haired captain stepped up beside him.

'You're wounded, Shun.'

Shunsui moved his shoulder experimentally. 'No, no, it seems to be fine.'

'Nevertheless, get Unohana to heal you,' Jyuushirou ordered. 'The last thing we need is an injured captain.'

Shunsui looked wounded. 'Are you suggesting that I'm not capable of fulfilling my duties, Jyuushirou?'

Nanao's eyes widened.

Jyuushirou chuckled. 'Hardly.'

Ichigo noticed none of their banter, and none of the shocked expressions that most of the shinigami wore.

Instead, he felt laughter welling up in his throat, and didn't bother suppressing it, throwing his head back and letting it break free. The high, hysterical sound made Rukia flinch visibly, retreating behind her brother, and Byakuya put his arm around her shoulder reassuringly.

The laughter went on and on and on, but when it stopped, Ichigo's voice was surprisingly level.

'We're different, you and I,' he told the merging. 'You use brute strength, and whatever it is that allows you to summon hollows. You can't do anything else, you've forgotten how. That's why I'm going to beat you into the ground and then send you to the hell you came from.'

The puppeteer lunged forward, bringing up his hand and shouting a kidou attack that sent the captains and their lieutenants fleeing for cover.

Ichigo stood his ground, countering the attack easily. 'Getsuga Tenshou!'

Blue arc met red fire in a horrific explosion, creating a large crater in the ground around the two fighters.

Kisuke sighed. 'I think I'm going to have trouble explaining this one,' he mumbled.

Ichigo blocked a blow from the merging, using the flat side of his zanpakutou to knock away the merging's massive arm. Still moving, he twisted the blade and sliced into the puppeteer's arm, a line of blue blood appearing almost instantaneously. The merging howled in rage, and brought his hands up, clasping them together and slamming them down ontop of Ichigo – who was no longer standing there, but balanced lightly, almost delicately, on the edge of the crater. Zangetsu rested on his shoulder, and as Ichigo rose gracefully, he released bankai.

Afterwards, even Kisuke had trouble explaining how the quality of Ichigo's reiatsu had changed so abruptly. It wasn't the usual massive eruption of spirit power, nor was it Ichigo's own. It seemed darker, somehow, blacker, as though something else had taken it over. Kisuke could see that the colour of his reiatsu had changed from pale blue to a thick, bloody red. It was reassuring to see that despite the changes, Zangetsu's appearance had not changed.

With the speed granted to him by his bankai, Ichigo used shunpo, slicing diagonally across the merging's chest before moving backward a step and dragging his blade through the fine tendons in the merging's wrist.

Thick, blue droplets spattered the ground, and the puppeteer opened his mouth to cry out – but the scream never came.

Ichigo had moved behind him, swift enough that even Yoruichi couldn't trace his movement, and simply plunged his zanpakutou into the puppeteer's heart.

As he fell to his knees, Ichigo jerked the blade free, and slashed through the mask.

For a moment, it was as if all the air was sucked into a vacuum and then spat out. The ground shook with the force of the purification, and when the smoke eventually cleared, the merging known as the puppeteer was gone, as was Kurosaki Ichigo.


	11. Chapter 11

**Title:** When all is said and done

**Rating:** G

**Pairing / Characters: **Ichigo, Ishida, Inoue, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Yamamoto, Shunsui, Jyuushirou, Byakuya and Hitsugaya

**Word Count: **747 words

**Warnings: **Nothing, mentions of Project Spearhead

**Summary: **When all is said and done, Soul Society is responsible

**A/N: **I don't know the real reasons behind the creation of the Hougyoku, everything you read is a product of my mind, and the way I think things eventually turned out. Feel free to correct me if something's wrong, I'll never know otherwise…

The silence was deafening. Ishida found himself staring stupidly at the place Kurosaki had last been seen, and was no longer before he forced himself to stumble forward.

There was no sign of Ichigo anywhere, and Ishida couldn't sense his reiatsu at all.

'Kurosaki-kun!' a horrified Inoue ran forward, and Ishida caught her arm, holding her back before she fell.

'Inoue –'

'Let me go, please Ishida-kun, let me go –' Inoue's frantic struggled increased, until a slender figure with an oversized zanpakutou ran forward.

'Inoue, calm down!' Ichigo told her urgently, seeing the tears in her eyes.

'Kurosaki-kun!' Inoue sobbed, flinging herself into his arms. 'I thought… I thought…'

Ichigo hugged her. 'I wasn't hurt, Inoue. It's all right…'

'Of course,' Byakuya said suddenly. 'Hollows can mask their reiatsu instinctively – that was why we couldn't sense you.'

'Correct,' Kisuke said simply. 'Kurosaki-san, I take it back. You really _are _a frightening child.'

Ichigo laughed softly. 'Yeah, I suppose I am.'

Yamamoto sheathed his zanpakutou. 'Would someone tell me what the hell is going on here?'

'…Project Spearhead,' Yoruichi concluded. 'Naturally, he blamed Kisuke for it even though he was innocent.'

Yamamoto sighed. 'I always knew he was, Yoruichi. Project Spearhead was originally commissioned by Room 46.'

Hitsugaya's tone was sharp. 'If it was commissioned by them why was Urahara exiled?'

'The project backfired,' Jyuushirou explained quietly.

'It wasn't Kisuke's fault; no one could have predicted the results. The Hougyoku was intended to aid the integration of souls, when a shinigami died; we realized that something was wrong. The project was called off immediately, all records were sealed, everyone involved had their memories of the project erased, and Kisuke was branded a traitor and exiled. Fortunately, Room 46 wasn't aware of our involvement, or that we knew as much about Kisuke's creation as he himself did. If they had known, we'd have been exiled along with him, but –' Jyuushirou sent Kisuke a faint smile, 'Kisuke took the blame, refusing to divulge our secret. We've carried it for nearly a century, and only today have we discussed it.'

Kisuke sighed. 'I involved the two of you, and you know it. How could I have let you take the fall?'

Ishida was seeing the mysterious store keeper in a new light. A captain, trying to fulfill his duties to his squad, exiled for doing something that wasn't even his fault…

Kisuke shrugged. 'Besides, I've come to prefer it here in the living world. There's so much more to do, so much more to work with. Jinta…Ururu…and of course, Yoruichi… what else can I say?'

Shunsui's eyes were alight with laughter. 'Of course,' he deadpanned. 'How could we forget?'

Yoruichi threw her pillow at him. Hard.

Rubbing his cheek, Shunsui grinned at her. 'I'm joking, Yoruichi.'

'You'd better be,' the Shihouin princess grumbled.

Ishida glanced at her. 'Yoruichi-san…what was your involvement in this? if Urahara-san was exiled, why did you choose to come with him?'

Yoruichi smiled then. 'Kisuke and I go a long way back, Ishida,' she explained. 'We were old friends, and older enemies. I felt Soul Society had been unfair in its treatment of Kisuke, so I abandoned my title and came to the living world. Apart from that, there were other, personal reasons for my leaving. I didn't turn my back on Sereitei, it wasn't my intention.'

'Mah, it's over now, and the truth – ugly though it may be – is out in the open. We can all move on now,' Byakuya commented.

'And speaking of moving on…' slyly, Shunsui reached out and snagged the sake bottle in the middle of the table and poured himself a generous serving.

Yamamoto cleared his throat. 'Ahem… aren't you forgetting something, Shunsui?'

Shunsui glared at him. 'I'm off duty, Yama-jii. Kisuke owes me a drink.'

Kisuke glared at Shunsui, and was about to speak when Yamamoto interrupted.

'That's not what I meant. It's polite to pour for your superior first.'

Shunsui lifted his cup. 'Get your own, old man. I _deserve_ this.'

Yamamoto's jaw dropped, and Kisuke and Jyuushirou exchanged glances before they burst into laughter.

'Never again,' Shunsui promised, draining the cup. 'Never ever again.'

Yamamoto's eyes gleamed. 'Christmas is coming up, Shunsui. I need someone to fill in for me in the living world…'

'Forget it!' Shunsui said so vehemently it brooked no further argument.

Kisuke eyed him speculatively. 'You could always come drinking with me, Shunsui…'

This time, it was Kisuke who got the pillow.


End file.
